MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – MLive's statewide entertainment
reporter John "Gonzo" Gonzales has started an ambitious search to find
"Michigan's Best Brewery," but it looks like Muskegon's three breweries won't
be ready in time for the contest.

Unruly Brewing Co. and Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. in Muskegon and Fetch Brewing Co. in Whitehall have all made strides towards opening, but it's unclear how many will have their doors open by the end
of 2013.

"Michigan's Best Brewery" is similar to MLive's other
projects to find the best ice cream parlor, coney dogs, burgers and other food
items and restaurants in the state. Readers will nominate and vote for their
favorite Michigan brewery and Gonzo will visit the breweries with the most
votes in each area of the state.

Once he's done visiting each brewery, he'll pick his
favorites and announce his top 10.

Gonzo will evaluate each brewery on its "overall experience, including the variety of beer they
produce, quality of menu, if food is offered, ambience and the staff's craft
beer IQ," he wrote.

Although none of the Muskegon County breweries will be ready for the "Michigan's
Best Brewery" competition, representatives from Fetch, Pigeon Hill and Unruly
will join Gonzo when he visits breweries in the Muskegon area.

While Gonzo takes in the general
atmosphere at each location, the Muskegon brewery representatives will share their
thoughts on the beer offered during his visit.

In the meantime, learn a little
more about Muskegon County's three upcoming breweries:

Unruly Brewing Co.

A rendering of what Unruly Brewing Co. will look like once it opens.Courtesy

Where: 360 W.
Western Ave., Muskegon, in the Russell Block Building

Owners: Jeff
Jacobson, Mark Gongalski and Eric Hoffman

The beers: Unruly
will serve a variety of beers, including the Revel
Rouser IPA and the Sasquatch double IPA. The brewery will also serve a coffee
porter, a cream ale and probably a California common steam beer, said co-owner
Jeff Jacobson.Unruly has also acquired a small
winemaker's license, so they will be able to make white and red wine, as well
as cider in the future, he said.

Food options: The
brewery will serve sandwiches from Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack as well as
appetizers from local vendors like The Cheese Lady. Eventually, the owners
hope to have a full menu.

The look: The
owners plan to use the building's features as the foundation of their interior
design, Jacobson said. The layout will include open ceilings as well the
building's original wood floors and tin ceilings.The space will fit about 150 people inside and an additional
70 people in the outdoor beer garden area.

Expected opening: "I
think we'll definitely be open in November for sure," said co-owner Jeff Jacobson.
He added that he sees the brewery opening early in the month.Unruly has all the licenses required to operate and only has
to undergo a few final inspections before opening, which will occur after
construction is complete, Jacobson said.

The current interior of Pigeon Hill Brewing Co., which is located inside the Noble Building, 500 W. Western Ave. in downtown Muskegon.Courtesy: Pigeon Hill Brewing Co.

Where: 500 W.
Western Ave., Muskegon, in the Noble Building

Owners: Joel
Kamp, Michael Brower, Chad Doane

The beers: The
brewery will start out with large batches of four or five beers when they open
and expand their portfolio once the initial rush slows down, said co-owners
Joel Kamp and Michael Brower. The bar has space for 10 taps.

Food options: Pigeon
Hill will serve prepackaged pretzels, popcorn and peanuts. The brewery is also
willing to work with the next-door tenant if it turns out to be a restaurant,
they said.

The look: Brower
and Kamp said they have no formal layout yet, but they plan to incorporate the
building's original terrazzo floors and original Chicago brick work that had
been painted over in some spots. The ceiling features wood paneling, which
was meant to mimic the building's original, but damaged ceilings.The brewery will also use furniture crafted out of wood that
has been pulled out of Muskegon Lake. They explained the wood had sat on the
bottom of the lake since Muskegon's lumbering boom.The taproom will seat about 80 people.

Expected opening: Kamp
and Brower declined to give a date for a possible opening, saying that won't
make that announcement until they are licensed and brewing. Building
construction is ongoing.

The current interior of Fetch Brewing Co., as seen from the building's mezzanine. The upcoming brewery is located in the Whitehall's old State Bank building, 100 W. Colby St.Lisha Arino | MLive

Where: 100 W. Colby
St., Whitehall, in the old State Bank building

Owners: Dan and
Jen Hain

The beers: Fetch
will have four standard beers on tap, said co-owner Dan Hain. They are: a
coffee stout called the Tree Stump Stout, the Lazy Eye Rye, the Pitchfork Wheat
and a pale ale.The brewery will also make "small batch stuff" and seasonal
brews that will rotate. Hain also said he wants to experiment with produce from
nearby fruit orchards.

The look: The
building, which was built in 1912, has 20-foot ceilings and walls that are 18-
to 20-inches thick. Hain said he wants to use as many of the bank's original
features and fixtures as possible.He plans to keep the original tile flooring in the front of
the taproom, as well as the brick walls and molding. The bank's vault will be
used for a merchandise area and the elevator shaft will give patrons a glimpse
at the brewing equipment that will be housed in the basement.There will also be a second-floor mezzanine area. Hain said
the space should accommodate about 95 people.

Expected opening:
Dan Hain said he's hoping for a late December or January opening, but he's
still waiting for permits to be processed by the state. Construction inside the
building is ongoing.